Hjalmarsson more careful in wake of violent hit

Hawks' dangerous drilling of Pominville last season has made him more conscious of safety

January 18, 2012|By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter

Niklas Hjalmarsson has moved on from his dangerous hit on the Sabres' Jason Pominville early last season but the Blackhawks defenseman always will carry the lesson learned from the incident.

It was Oct. 11, 2010 when Hjalmarsson drilled Pominville into the boards from behind during a game in Buffalo and watched as the Sabres center was carried off the ice on a stretcher. Hjalmarsson was suspended two games for the hit, the kind of punishment the NHL hands down with regularity this season as it tries to crack down on blindside hits.

"It's never fun to see a guy go down like that, especially when it includes yourself when you make the hit," Hjalmarsson said before the Hawks defeated the Sabres 6-2 Wednesday night at the United Center in the second meeting of the teams since the incident. "I don't think about it too much. The guys are getting a little more cautious out there when guys are in vulnerable positions. Guys are a little bit more afraid of being suspended."

Hjalmarsson, who had one hit Wednesday night to up his season total to 29 said he's now more cognizant of an opponent's vulnerability.

"If you see a guy standing with his head against the boards you're obviously not going to go in there 100 miles per hour," Hjalmarsson said. "You go in there a little more cautious and have an active stick instead of trying to go into the body."

No lid: Veteran Jamal Mayers, the only Hawks player not to wear a helmet during pregame warmups, heard about the incident when the Oilers' Taylor Hall was cut on his face by a teammate's skate before Tuesday's game after a collision in the corner in Columbus. Still, the veteran doesn't plan on donning a helmet anytime soon for warmups.

"This is the only team I've ever been on where there are not a lot of guys not wearing a helmet," Mayers said. "As I grew up that's what I watched guys do and it's what I've done since I started playing."

Another chance: Rookie Ben Smith was in the Hawks' lineup while fellow forward Bryan Bickell was a healthy scratch.